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Eleutheroi (Gaul)
Gaelaiche (Celtic Spearmen) Celtic warbands have always largely relied on spears. The Gaelaiche (Guy-latch; "Spear-Warriors") are the lightest members of the Celtic warrior class. They carry cheap equipment; Celtic longspears, javelins, and a shield. However, they have their uses. Their spears are good against horsemen, and can be used to good affect against infantry as well, and their javelins can be used as a fine method to disorient a foe. Experienced spearmen are a great asset to a campaigning Celtic army, and even inexperienced spearmen are generally superior to any early levies that can be produced. The many transalpine Gallic tribes arm themselves in this manner, but also a handful of tribes in southwest Britain also use such armaments and fighting style. Historically, Celts always favored spears; they were easy to produce and didn't require much steel. Celtic longspears were of fair quality, with broad, sharp heads that would cause deep, terrible gashes, and could be used as well to bring down horses. They would accompany these weapons with javelins thrown into an enemy position to disorient and kill a few foes. They would probably be mostly the youngest Celtlic warriors, but there wasn't shame in an older, experienced warrior fighting with a spear as well; the spear was a respected weapon in Celtic society. Bagaudas (Celtic Shortswordsmen) Bagaudas ("Guerilla Fighters") are shortswordsmen from the tribe of the Venetii. The shortsword is a common weapon, essentially a very long knife or dagger, and used by hunters, and carried by many as a form of self defense. Warriors using shortswords are not generally very well trained, if at all. However, they are readily available, cheap, and have a good charge. They are extremely vulnerable at range. Historically, the Celts generally favored spears and shortswords for young or inexperienced soldiers. These warriors, with shortswords, were not necessarily that high up in society; the swords were of debatable quality. Many may not even have fought in battle before, just being hunters or young boys called in to fight, or have chosen to go and fight. Light swordsmen in Celtic society were fairly common, and necessary, often, as a bridge between light and medium infantry, when medium infantry was unavailable. They were increasingly more common during the Roman conquests, as the professional armies with longswordsmen had either been bought by the Romans, or turned on one another, leaving the only defense to these young warriors. Brihentin (Gallic Noble Cavalry) Gallic Brihentin (Bree-hen-ten; Knights) are heavy cavalry. They are used as shock cavalry to break an enemy position and destroy flanks, as well as overrun heavy infantry and slaughter lighter cavalry. Their spears, swords, and chain armor is all of finest quality, and their skill is great, though they are, as any cavalry, vulnerable to long spears and pikes. They can be used to best effect for riding down enemy heavy infantry and defeating light cavalry. Their armor can absorb many blows, and that should allow them to keep fighting. Historically, the Gauls employed heavy cavalry as a method of breaking dense enemy formations, and were sometimes employed by Carthage, in addtion to various Gallic chiefs and kings. They were apparently of great enough skill to impress their employers; Hannibal grouped his Gallic heavy cavalry with his Iberian heavy cavalry during his campaign in the Italic peninsula. Such warriors would cost much to outfit, but they would surely be worth everything spent to ensure they had the best possible equipment. Solduros (Gallic Noble Infantry) The Solduros (Sul-dur-ohs; "Devoted Ones") are remarkably skilled, fearless elite guards of Celtic nobles. They pledge themselves to eachother and their charge, and fight to the very end. Small in number, they are a remarkable elite, best used to combat an enemy's opposing elite soldiers or heavy troops. They are very well armored and armed, and can surely break many enemies, but they are rare, very expensive, and while their armor and shields are of good quality, they have no form of retaliation at range, and would be too slow to chase off skirmishers or missile troops, and so would need ranged or cavalry support to be used to best effect. Historically, Celtic nobles surrounded themselves with elite bodyguards of kings, magistrates, and other important nobles and officials, such as high ranking druids. Among them were the "Soldurii", the greatest warriors of the Aquitanni. Each man pledged his life to a fellow of this brotherhood, and the man pledged to would return this pledge; if the one of these two died, and the other did not, the remaining man would take his own life after the battle, for having failed defend him. Julius Caesar noted that no man ever backed down from this duty, and did so fearlessly. Their skill was tremendous; they fought against great odds and could defeat many times their own number. So great and legendary was their name even to their enemies that it can be found having influenced words such as 'soldier' and 'solidarity'. Massaliotai Hoplitai (Massilian Medium Hoplites) Massalia is a city in an interesting position. It is a Greek city, but with a substantial Celtic population and relations with neighboring Celtic tribes. Its soldiers have adjusted themselves with some Celtic gear to make them of greater use in a close melee if the phalanx is abandonned. They make use of a superior Celtic longsword in close quarters, able to handle themselves better in such situations compared to others with lesser weapons. Historically, Massalia was home to a substantial Greco-Celt population who were attracted to the temple of Herakles there. The inhabitants of Massalia remained largely Greek in culture, but trading, intermarrying, and fighting with nearby Celtic tribes led to crossovers in the equipment carried by each side. The soldiers of Massalia, for example, began using Celtic-style longswords and occassionally other pieces of equipment. They fought, otherwise, in a manner more typical of Hellenic soldiers. Category:Eleutheroi